Chapter 5
The after noon passed in a blur of scrambled wedding plans. Witches and their family scurried about like ants, carrying robes, dresses, flowers and gifts. The wizards stood about in little groups and occasionally were drafted into chores by the witches. Mostly they just looked a bit paranoid. Draco Malfoy was there talking to a few Ravenclaw witches, he was the only slytherin in attendance.
Harry, Ron and Percy were all trying to get George to be their attendant. There was a shortage of available males for this job as Charlie had to be back at work and Bill was managing the ministry audits with Gringotts. The ministry preferred not to deal with a goblin when they had to admit mistakes.
Neville had wrangled his Great -Uncle for his attendant, and was blissfully thankful he didn't have to scramble for one. An unexpected evil thought brought him to remind the boys of Draco's presence.
" Hey, mates there is one in our year here and unattached as yet for the ceremonies…one of you should ask Malfoy."
"Malfoy! bugger that." Ron was so eloquent. Then he looked thoughtfully at Percy who was across the room and quite likely to ask the slytherin prat. There wasn't anyone left to pick from at all!
Harry had just seen a quid ditch scout that had spoken to him that morning, and edged away to ask him to stand for him.
Ron looked around for Harry and saw him talking to the scout, narrowed his eyes and walked over to Malfoy. His throat lumped up and he cast his eyes about one final time and said, " Malfoy, you owe us for getting you out of a jam earlier, I need an attendant to get married later."
Draco curled his lip, " Then you and Granger are going to be churning out more Weasleys? If I do this don't name me Godfather, and we will be square. Right?" Draco had been hoping for a chance to show the winning side accepted him; this was better than he had hoped, but he wasn't letting Weasel in on it.
He had been chatting up Ravenclaws wondering if he could tolerate one for a wife. Pansy was a definite no since she showed her true colors during the battle. Trying to set the Deatheaters on Potter and his lot. If he could be included with Granger and Weasley then that would hit the papers with something to really set the Malfoy Family in the middle rather than with the losers. Percy owed his father, for helping him twice earlier. Draco owed the trio twice for saving his hide. This would be a scale tipper, sort of….
Professor Flitwick had organized some of the younger students into providing music. The ceremonies were all ready, even as hurriedly arranged as they were. He glanced up the staircase and at a signal from the Headmistress began to play. The musical medley was not the muggle wedding march, but instead odd fairies tune from the early days of Scotland, there was an ancient house elf with bagpipes, and an odd set of instruments that were unrecognizable. The brides descended the staircase; they were radiant in borrowed and transfigured robes. Every flower from the greenhouse had sacrificed itself to their adornment. A second year student was playing a bizarre chime arrangement, smiling at his older sister.
Hermione glanced up at Ron, completely puzzled by why he was standing beside Malfoy. Ginny had eyes only for Harry and her face was flushed and pretty. Luna was herself, strangely fey and dressed in a filmy robe with an odd headdress. McGonogal whispered, " Be careful girls, watch your steps. Make me proud."
Hermione reached the base of the steps and slowly made her way over to stand with Ron. He was so tall and muscular, so very handsome in the transfigured quid ditch robes he had borrowed earlier. She made a mental note to remember to buy some robes in the same exact style for him. Then her head wondered next to where they would get the gold. The strange little wizard in front of them began speaking. The words past them in a blur, until he produced the binding cords of white and handed them to Ron. Ron's hands were shaking as he took the cords. He wrapped them about his wrist and held them out to Hermione. Her hands were sure and her eyes were shining. The wizard droned on and on but the words didn't register to her.
She just kept her eyes on Ron. Then a sizzle of magic as they were both asked their oath questions.
The wizard glanced at the young couple, his eyes very intent. " Will you be faithful and bind yourself only unto your mate? Devote your hearts and bodies to each other and bind your magic together? This is the most serious of unions." he cautioned. Ron looked at Hermione and couldn't imagine life without her.
Hermione was suddenly attacked with the wedding nerves; she had avoided earlier and swayed, but managed to answer. " I will it so." She whispered her words. "I will it so." Ron stated firmly.
" With your magic, with your hearts, with your bodies, with your love. I bind this couple in wedlock."
The cords sizzled and wrapped around their wrist, sinking into their skin.
Other couples were finishing up their ceremonies and everyone managed to stay quiet until the last.
Then there was a flurry of Wizarding cameras flashing. Yelled congratulations, emotional mothers and fathers. Molly hugged Percy and Penelope, and then grabbed her daughter and Harry. Arthur was patting Harry on the back so hard that his transfigured quid ditch robes were shimmering almost back to their former state. That would make an odd picture, Hermione looked at the cords on her wrist. " Ron, why are these cords not changing colors yet." She had remembered the cords had changed colors the second they had landed on Bill and Fluer's wrist. Their cords had both turned red.
Ron blushed and whispered. " Because we haven't done anything yet." She looked up confused, for a moment. " You mean they had already…"she trailed off, doing her own blushing. She glanced around and noticed other couples that had done the binding ceremony. There were both white cords; on some and several which had turned the second they touched skin. Well that made sense. Especially when she looked at that Hufflepuff whom she remembered giving points off because she was always with a boy in the corridor off the Great Hall. Her cords were purple. Her new husband had light blue cords.
Hermione wished she had time to research the colors, she was sure they meant something.
The hall was suddenly filled with tables laden with food and greenery. All the flowers had been used on the brides. There were little fairies in the center of the green leaves; they looked a bit like exotic butterflies.
Professor Flitwick generally enchanted them for the Christmas party, but as it was mostly staff, the students missed seeing them. The press was having a field day walking about the tables, snapping pictures. There were several sets of photographers hovering around the head table. Harry was starting to look annoyed.
His quid ditch scout was basking in all the free publicity and hanging Harry and Ginny out to dry. Draco was however doing an excellent job of fending off all questions for the new Weasleys. This was his main goal. Ron looked up a time or so, when he overheard statements about their longtime friendship and normal house rivalry. He almost chocked when he heard the friendship bit.
Hermione just looked at Draco totally appalled. " How could you Ron?"
It took him a bit, as he was munching on an absolutely divine meat pie. "I had to blackmail him Hermione, I called in his debt to us." He sat across the table at her, food still in his mouth. It was odd how eating with her calmed his nerves. Of course they had shared meals at this table for years.
She just glared up at him, "You wasted that type of favor for this Malfoy publicity stunt?" His table manners were still appalling. Where had Molly's eyes been all these years? Oh, yeah, she reminded herself.Probably on Fred and George. They were bound to need a better favor from Malfoy and he burned it on an attendant? She overheard Draco bragging about his family and their duty to the Ministry.
Rolling her eyes she looked down at the cords surrounding her wrist again. What color would they be?She had asked Fluer a bit ago the meanings of the colors. Fluer had blushed but told her. " Zee red is passion, blue is honor and purple is a combination. Yellow is trust, brown is hatred, and orange is friendship. Binding colors can change as your feelings change. As long as is not black or brown your feelings are good." Her eyes shown as she lifted her wrist to show Hermione " Mine was red when we married, but look now." Her wrist was now encircled with both a red cord, and a gold cord. " Zee gold is the best, it is true love. Zaht combined wis passion…" She giggled. " I hope your Weasley man is as good as his brother."
Couples were starting to drift off. She turned startled eyes towards Ron. " Where are we supposed to sleep tonight?" She couldn't imagine spending the night in the dorm. Ron looked over to the Headmistress and said. " Lets ask her if she has a room open somewhere." He saw Harry headed up the stairs with Ginny.
He didn't want to be close to their room. Even with a silencing charm he still felt squicky thinking about his friend and his sister.
Hermione reached McGonogal. " Headmistress, is there a private room available to us this evening?"McGonogal looked fondly at them. " The room next to Harry and Ginny forth corridor from the staff rooms is open." She had saved the room for them as soon as she realized they were all to get married.
Ron looked up and squeaked " Is there any other room, say a bit further away?"That was embaressing, having his voice crack like that. McGonogal smirked a bit. " There is also the rooms that Professor Snape used when he was teaching Potions. Professor Slughorn sleeps above the dungeons, says the damp settles in his old bones."
She bit her lips thinking. " The house elves say that is the last available room at the castle."
No one wanted to sleep in Snape's quarters. It would be just like him to haunt the place.
Ron gulped, thinking of the greasy bat's rooms; verses' knowing what Ginny was up to with Harry in the very next room. Something was vaguely intriguing about the thought of the dungeon though.
Hermione looked at his face and seeing his indecision answered. "We will use the dungeon rooms."
She didn't want to think of Harry and Ginny in the next room either. Harry was like her brother, and she had heard way too much about Ginny's sex life already. It made her feel as if she hadn't studied for a test.
She expected to hear Ron protesting, but instead he gave her an odd leering look and began to pull her in the direction of the dungeon.
The flickering light, which was held by the house elf escorting them to the dungeon rooms formerly belonging to Severus Snape, cast long shadows about the silent walls. The little elf had to escort them, as the location had been a secret for years. There had always been much speculation on Snape's quarters. Everything was mentioned, such as a torture chamber, a bed of nails, and a large black marble bathroom.
The elf motioned her small hands at a blank wall, and a door appeared. It swung open and an inviting room filled with leather armchairs and floor to ceiling bookshelves was revealed to them. Hermione walked in her eyes already going towards the shelves of books. A crackling fire had a small table set in front of it. A bucket of ice and a bottle of wine were waiting with a small assortment of cheese and fruit. The elf said, "just call through the flue if yous be wanting more food. We is told not to come in the room till you leaves tomorrow." The elf winked out, apparating away silently.
Hermione's eyes were on the books yet, but she was extremely conscious of her new husband standing close beside her. He scooped her up in his arms and headed directly for the bed that he glimpsed through an open door. He gazed down at her noticing her blush and an uncharacteristic quietness. " It will be ok, Hermione." He loved her so much it scared him. She hopped down from the bed and said. " I need to go to the loo and freshen up." She walked over to a closed door, and there was indeed a black marble bathroom.
" Ronald, look at this…" He walked over and stuck his head around the door jam. " It is bigger than the prefects' bathroom. I think this was a good idea. I doubt old Snape was ever in here, I can't see him liking the idea of being clean."
"Ronald Weasley, you should know we found out he was a hero. He gave Harry his memories, and he was working for our side the whole time." Hermione was still working on her feelings about this as well.
It was hard to go from thinking of someone as a traitor to a hero in a few days. She had always respected Professor Snape, but had trusted Harry when he claimed that he saw Snape murder Dumbledore. She knew things were not always as they appeared.
She pushed Ron out of the bathroom and walked over to the decadent bath. She disrobed and started as she heard a female voice " ooh he'll like that tonight."
She saw no one and grabbed at her wand. " It is just me Deary, I'm a talking mirror." She looked at a silver framed mirror that covered most of one wall. " Dumbledore hung me here to keep the grouch talking. Not that it ever did any good, he hated hearing about how to improve his looks and such."
Hermione smiled as the mirror continued, " Not that he had much of a face but the rest of him was something to behold. I am thinking he will like having you in his bed tonight." Hermione glanced up and said. " Your former master is dead. My husband is Ronald Weasley." She sank down into the warm bath.
" Are you sure Deary? It seems like my masters presence out there." The mirror fogged, either from the steam or some odd emotion. Hermione was a bit chilled even thinking about the Potions Master, she had seen him fall, seen him stare into Harry's eyes as his eyes went dim. If he was out there, then he was a ghost like Fred. She got out of the bath and picked up a large fluffy gray robe. She wondered if it was new or one left by the former occupant. With the house elves about she knew it was clean. She walked out and there was Ron waiting naked in the middle of the bed, a silver ribbon tied about his penis.
She burst out laughing, " Ronald!
" Hey now." He smiled up at her. " You aren't supposed to laugh in the bedroom!" He tugged her down looking at her damp curls and flushed cheeks. She was so beautiful. " Hold a minute Ron." she looked about in the corners and around the furniture. " What is up Luv, besides me that is." She blushed even more darkly. " There is a magic mirror in the bathroom, she said she felt her former master's presence out here."
She glanced about again, taking in the enchanted window showing the sun sinking slowly. " I wanted to make sure there was no ghosts in the room…you know watching." The view from the window was lovely, sinking over the lake, surrounded by mountains.
Ron slowly lost his grin, " You mean it could be….him?" He could just imagine Snape appearing at the wrong moment and castigating him as a dunderhead while he made love to his new wife. Hermione held her wand up and murmured a quiet incantation. Her wand glowed green, and she beamed at Ron, " No we are alone there is no ghosts in here and that little spell should keep all of them out for the night." He lunged at her and dragged her to the bed. No more waiting for them.
An hour later after several clumsy but fervent love making episodes, they were beginning to get the hang of it. They laughed and kissed and winced over bruises, and scratches and started a new tender session. Ron lay back on the bed feeling very tired. Hermione straddled his hips and slowly raised and lowered herself on his body. This seemed to go deeper then the previous positions. She looked at him lying back with his smiling face and his eyes closed and felt content. She looked at her wrist and saw the blue and orange and smirked down at Ron; thinking he must have wanted the Chudley Canons colors. Or was that a purple color, she held her arm up to catch the dying rays of the sun coming into the window. The glare off the lake almost blinding her with the orange and purple light from the sunset.
She felt an odd push and felt as if she was suddenly really filled and glanced down at her new husband to see what he had done…she liked that feeling. Her eyes had to adjust to the dimmer light after staring into the sunset, but surely Ron's skin had been darker just a moment before? His hair was darker, but they had worked up a sweat earlier.
She shut her eyes a minute to allow her eyes to adjust. He surged against her again, damn that was deep. She opened her eyes and looked down at the face of Severus Snape. And she screamed.